Building The Perfect Office For You

When we come to start our own empire, a lot of us will start off working from home in our spare bedroom or sitting on the sofa with a brew. Running a s,all business during its first few months is fairly straight forward, however once you start to increase in popularity and getting more sales, it can become a little overwhelming for us to deal with on our own.

There will come a time during your first business years that you may decide you need some extra hands and a proper working space to thrive in. An office space can be a wonderful turning point in your business, and once you do have the space and resources you need you will be able to grow your success exponentially.

If you want to build your own office this year and you are looking for some advice, here are some of the things you will need to consider and do during the process to ensure that you create the best possible space.

Have Realistic Expectations

When we start looking for office spaces in the local area, it is understandable that we will go into the process with a certain idea of what we want. When we constantly see sunning modern offices online, it is perfectly understandable that you would look for something which is similar to this. However, the important thing to remember is that this is not going to be the case a lot of the time. A lot of the offices which will be for sale or rent will be old offices that have been running for decades. This will often mean that the decor is something to be desired, you won’t have an open plan space, and the windows may not be as large as you like. Make sure when you go into the process that you keep your expectations low.

Find a Property You Can Work With

When looking for an office space it is tempting to go for the location or the structure rather than what is inside the building, many companies might want to completely gut out the insides of an office and start again, which is fine, however it can cost a lot of money and take a huge chunk of time to do. If you want to move into an office fairly quickly you will need to find a place which has features that you can modify and work with. If there aren’t very large windows in the office, you can always install bigger ones. Be careful with what you buy because it will cost a lot if you have to change every single thing.

Location Is Key

The location of your office is not only crucial for you, but it is crucial for the success of your business too. If you are looking for people to hire, or you already have a couple of workers who work remotely for you, you need to find an office which is in a commutable location for everyone. You will also want to choose an office in a place with plenty of transport links because when you come to hire new people, this will be a large factor in whether they will work for you or not.

If In Doubt, Buy Land

If you are looking in the area and you just don’t seem to be able to find what you are looking for, there is another option out there which you can use. If you have a substantial amount of money to invest in your business, you can look for a plot of land in a great location, buy this, and build the offices yourself. This will allow you to have full creative control over your building and you will be able to build the perfect office to fit your taste and to also fit your needs. If you don’t currently have the money, try applying for a loan from a bank.

Hire The Right Designer

If you decide to build your own office building you are going to need to hire a holding firm such as Eastcoast Geotech, an architect to design the exterior, and a designer to transform the interior for you. It is incredibly important when hiring these third parties that you choose the right people for the job. Make sure to get multiple quotes from different firms, hold interviews with each of the companies, and this will allow you to see whether they are the right people for your job.

Get Bargain Materials

One of the biggest costs you will have to pay out for your business office is the materials you are going to use to build it. Make sure that you aren’t too fussy and unrealistic when picking out materials for your office. Think about the environmental benefits and the cost of each item and make sure that you choose only the ones that you can reasonably afford. Go on secondhand sites and trading sites to find materials in bulk for a bargain. It will save you a huge sum of money and time too.

Test Things First

Before you decide to cement your furniture and setup into the space, test it out. Place items in certain areas of the office and see how well you think the space will work. You may have to rearrange everything a couple of times before you are happy with the final design, but that’s the beauty of having a blank canvas to work upon.

Budget Time and Money

Be careful not to spend all of your time and all of your money on this project. This will be a huge project for your business, however, you want to make sure that you are still taking the time to run your own business and make a profit to pay for all of the work you do. Ideally, it is best for you to bring in a project manager who will handle everything for you and only call you when big decisions need to be made. This will free your time up to complete the work you need to do during the week.

Invest In A Communal Space

Once the building portion of the office is done, you will need to start thinking about the elements you want to bring into the office. One of the things you should absolutely bring into the office space is a communal space of some sort. This can be an open plan area where people can come to work on their own projects at a table while drinking a coffee. You can essentially turn it into a cafe setting which will allow people to leave the office and work on things at their own pace during the working week. You will also be allowing people to bond with each other and gain a better working relationship.

Bring An Outdoor Space

Outdoor space can be a game changer for the mental health and happiness of your workers. Think about bringing an outdoor area to the office where people can come during the day for a little peace and quiet as well as come for their lunch during the summer. You can create a roof terrace with seating and potted plants which will be amazing for your employees. You can also think about building a garden area at the back of the office which you can fill with colourful flowers and bushes. This will act as a sensory aid for your workers during the day and it can actually allow them to concentrate more. Having somewhere outdoors allows your workers to eat fresh air, stay motivated all day and to relax when they are having a stressful time.

Make It Personal

Once everything in your office is done, the only thing left to do is put your mark on the place. Make this office your own and bring some personality into the space which will show everyone the kind of people you are. Make sure to add lots of splashes of colour to improve everyone’s mood, look for unique furniture pieces for a fun design feature, and bring a plant into every room of the house. You can also let your employees decorate their own desk spaces and the walls above to add personality and life to the building. It will make a difference to the happiness of everyone in the office and will allow everyone to learn more about the other people who work with them. Make sure to bring your branding into the space too with your logo in the foyer and on the walls, as well as a vinyl banner outside the building so that people know who you are and where you are at all times.

Building an office space which is perfect for you will be a huge task, however, if you take your time and put the effort into the project it will be a wonderful decision to make and your business will thrive as a result. So go and take a look at offices today!

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“Kelly O’Donnell is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.”